Pirates! Band of Misfits: Underwhelming

I was slightly underwhelmed by Pirates! Band of Misfits, as I’ve grown up with Wallace and Gromit and Chicken Run. For some reason, it did not make a very strong impression on me. However, this movie is not a bad choice, especially for younger audiences who may find the pop culture and historical references to be amusing. It’s short, concise, and features some funny moments.

Queen Victoria (Imelda Staunton) rules the British Empire with an iron fist but has yet to defeat the pirates, whom she absolutely despises. Pirate Captain (Hugh Grant), an impoverished pirate, has been eyeing the Pirate of the Year contest for twenty-plus years. While he possesses so much most heart and spirit, he lacks enough booty to defeat like Black Bellamy (Jeremy Piven) or Cutlass Liz (Salma Hayek). Despite his infectious enthusiasm, he always manages to pick the wrong ships to loot (leper ships, boy scouts, etc.) But he has the most loyal crew, including an awesome sidekick (Martin Freeman), and their parrot/mascot, Polly. After a series of blunders, he lands on Charles Darwin’s (Dave Tennant) scientific expedition. After Darwin identifies Polly as a rare dodo bird, the crew decides to enter London’s annual science contest. As one can see, this society places a whole lot of emphasis on winning prizes and money. We can only imagine the trials and tribulations they will face in the Queen’s territory.

Pirate Captain is a rather sympathetic character, yet sometimes he’s so clueless that it’s ridiculous. He would be completely lost without help from his trusty sidekicks. On the other hand, Pirate Captain’s crew is absolutely adorable and amiable. From the very first scene, it’s obvious that they live for the daily looting and adventures of a pirate, not for seeking material wealth. Despite their lack of material success, they always stick together to support the captain, who often loses his focus and confidence. They exude an endearing type of camaraderie that any leader would be lucky to have.

I felt that this movie could have used a more charismatic and original villain. Technically, there were three villains, but they were not as twisted and compelling as Mrs. Tweedy from Chicken Run or the Penguin from Wallace and Gromit. Queen Victoria felt like a one-dimensional royal caricature of Mrs. Tweedy. Darwin and his hench-monkey, Mr. Bobo, drew laughs with their pathetic and wimpy mannerisms. The only reason they get to be villains was because Pirate Captain never has a full grasp of the situation. However, some viewers may really take to this wild clash of silly caricatures and buffoons.  

All in all, the movie felt a little bland in comparison to previous Aardman films. I did not find the jokes especially funny, nor did I find the plot sequences to be especially adventurous or thrilling. It definitely could have used more swashbuckling suspense and adventure. The movie just seemed too predictable and straightforward, and I wanted a bigger challenge. This is to say again that this movie would be better suited for younger kids rather than teens and adults.  Except for a mention of eating rare animals, there aren’t too many scary or darkly thematic moments. Its light-hearted and breezy quality may appeal to families with young children.

But I do really appreciate that they are still producing stop-motion Claymation films. These require a very long time and painstaking detail to make, and they are fantastic to watch. I only hope that they will draw less from formula and repetition and create a more enticing narrative with more original adventures and characters for their next film.